Glycol and polypentaerythritol composition



Patented June 29, 1954 GLYCOL AND POLYPENTAERYTHRITOL COMPOSITION Jesse B. Bronstein,

Allentown, Pa., assignorto Trojan Powder Company, a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application May 4, 1951, Serial No. 224,653

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a glycol and polypentaerythritol composition and the method of making it. The invention relates particularly to such a composition that is solid and non-leaking at ordinary temperatures and that, when ground and exposed to'air, quickly absorbs the equilibrium proportion of moisture.

When it is attempted to form a shippable mixture of a glycol with a polypentaerythritol, even in ground form, there results only a wetting of the solid particles of the polypentaerythritol. The glycol when used in large quantity drains from the remaining wet solid material on standing; Fusing together a polypentaerythritol and most glycols and then cooling the resulting mixture to room temperatures gives the same type of wet solid material.

- I have discovered, however, that heating and then cooling a mixture of the polypentaerythritol and either ethylene or diethylene glycol produces a product entirely diiferentfrom that obtained by simple mixing of the two ingredients at the same final temperatures. By the process of heatingand subsequently cooling, I obtain a dry solid product in which the two components are so bonded or associated that the normally liquid glycol-is not released on standing at room temperature'eventhough the proportion of the glycol may be as high as 30% of the total. I have discovered also that of the common glycols, only ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol give this unexpected and beneficial result.

The invention is particularly useful in making a watersoluble wax-like material and a friction dressing for power belts, to increase the drag of the-belt on. a pulley or other member over which the belt moves.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises the method of: and the composition resulting from heating ethylene or diethylene glycol with a polypentaerythritol in amount in excess of that of the glycol to: a temperature of at least 195 C., continuing the heating until the entire mass becomes. a homogeneous fluid, and then cooling the product to room temperature. In one embodiment the invention comprises esterifying the resulting product with higher fatty acids.

Asto materials used; I know of no glycol's satisfactory for my purpose'other than ethylene glycol anddiethylene glycol.

The polypentaerythritol used is one containing 2 to pentaerythritolunits per'molecule. Thus, I may use what may be called di-, tri-, tetraor pentaerythritol. These are the products formed by condensation of 1-, 2, 3, 4-, or 5 units, respectively, of pentaerythritol, C(CHzOI-IM, tov give a poly compound. There is no advantage known to me in using the higher poly compounds such asthe hexaor' heptapentaerythritol.

As fatty acids to be esterified with my glycol and pentaerythritol (PE') composition, I may use any higher (012 to C18) fatty acid or mixtures of them. Examples are oleic, linoleic, linolenic, stearic, or palmitic acid or the fatty acids. of paint oils such as linseed, soyabean, cottonseed, oiticica, or corn oil.

As to proportions, I use 10 to 30 parts of the glycol to to parts of the polypentaerythritol to make a composition that, after heating and cooling, will be non-leaking at ordinary or slightly elevated temperatures, proportions here and elsewhere herein being expressed as parts by weight unless otherwise stated.

In compounding the selected glycol and polypentaerythritol, I mix the materials in the predetermined proportion and heat the mixture to a temperature of at least C. and until the whole mixture is completely melted, to give a homogeneous mass. If the batch islarge or if both the materials are supplied in heated liquid form, then agitation is employed to insure the necessary uniformity and contact of the two materials at the elevated temperature. The composition so made in the hot condition is then cooled.

The cooled product is a solid in which either the ingredients are feebly or otherwise bonded or the polypentaerythritol serves as a skeletonizing agent for the whole composition. It is a non-bleeding solid that may be handled as a solid without fear ofdripping of glycol from the solid. The composition is homogeneous, that is,-

appears to the eye to be the same in all parts.

As a wax, my product is substituted. on an equal weight basis for water soluble waxes, carboxymethyl cellulose, and other thickening agents in various industrial compositions.

As a friction material, the solid composition is applied to the surface of a power belt or the like as by holding a block of the composition against the surface of the moving belt. When so applied, the composition leaves a deposit on the belt which increases the friction on the pulley or other part over which the treated surface of the belt moves.

The composition made as described and consisting of the glycol and polypentaerythritol is particularly useful in the making of esters of mixed glycol and polypentaerythritol. My composition mixed with the higher fatty acids disperses quickly in them without dusting during handling and without caking on the sides of the heated equipment. When the whole is then heated with fatty acids, either with or without a conventional catalyst of esterification, there are obtained esters with less discoloration than results when the polypentaerythritol for example is used alone without being. compounded in advance with the glycol.

The invention will be further illustrated by description in. connection with the following specific examples of the practice of it.

Example 1 A portion of this material was carefully weighed and placed upon absorbent material in a desiccator which was kept at room temperature. After a period of '72 hours there was no sign of the ethylene glycol having exuded from the fused mixture. The loss in weight of the cake was only 0.57%.

Example 2 The procedure of Example 1 is repeated except that the proportion of the materials used is 30 parts of ethylene glycol for 70 of the Di-PE'.

Example 3 The procedure of Examples 1 or 2 is followed except that tri-PE, tetra-PE, and penta-PE are substituted in turn and in equal proportions by weight for the Di-PE of Examples 1 and 2.

Example 4 The ethylene glycol of Examples 1 and 2 is replaced by an equal weight of diethylene glycol.

Products made as described in Examples 1-4 are solid when cooled to room temperature and show no seeping out or leakage of the glycol. When exposed in comminuted form to air, they absorb moisture and come to equilibrium relatively quickly.

Example 5-Esterification 56 parts of a fused mixture of 30 parts ethylene glycol and '70 parts commercial Di-PE are mixed with 400 parts of soya oil fatty acids. The mixture was stirred and heated to 250 C., at a rate of 5 temperature rise per minute. After a period of 1 hour the reaction mixture was tested and found to have an acid number of 21.8 and a viscosity of B-C (Gardner). The heating was continued for 12 hours and the esters then showed an acid number of 6.2 and a viscosity of E (Gardner) The esters were light in color.

Example 6--Esterification Moisture Taken up in Air at 70% Relative Humidity and Room Temperature 24 Hrs. 48 Hrs. 72 Hrs.

Example 1 product: 20 parts ethylene glycol-80 parts DiPE Percent Percent Percent (pulverized) 9. 4 9. 2 8. Example 3 product: 30 parts ethylene glycol70 parts DiPE (pulverized) l3. 3 13.9 13. 8

The quickness of absorption by my'fused and then ground mass will be appreciated by comparison with the behavior of ethylene glycol alone. Exposed to moist air, the glycol does not come to the equilibrium weight in 7 days, in fact, it absorbs as much water in the second week as the first Week (Beilstein, vol, 1, p. 465). My mass, by contrast, comes to approximate equilibrium in 1 day or less.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A composition of matter comprising a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol and a polypentaerythritol containing 2 to 5 pentaerythritol units to the molecule, the proportion of the glycol being 10 to 30 parts for 70 to of the polypentaerythritol and the composition being a dry solid that does not release glycol at room temperature.

2. A homogeneous solid composition consisting essentially of 10 to 30 parts of ethylene glycol and '70 to 90 parts of dipentaerythritol for parts of the said composition.

3. A dressing for increasing friction of the surface of power belts and the like, the dressing consisting essentially of the composition described in claim 1.

4. A wax consisting essentially of a solid homogeneous combination of a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol and a compound selected from the group consisting of polypenta'erythritols containing 2 to 5 pentaerythritol units to the molecule.

. 5. The method of making a dry solid fusion product which comprises forming a mixture of a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol and a polypentaerythritol containing 2 to 5 pentaerythritol units to the molecule, in the proportion of 10 to 30 parts of the selected glycol, for 70 to 90 of the polypentaerythritol, heating'the mixture at a temperature of at least about C. and maintaining this temperature until the mass becomes homogeneous, and then cooling the resulting liquid until it solidifies.

6. A composition of matter comprising the higher fatty acid esters of the composition of claim 1.

'7. The method of making a dry solid fusion product which comprises forming a mixture of a glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol and a polypentaerythritol containing 2 to 5 pentaerythritol units to the molecule, in the proportion of 10 to 30 parts of the selected glycol, for '10 to 90 parts of the polypentaerythritol, heating the mixture at a temperature of at least about 195 CL, maintaining this temperature until the mass becomes homogeneous, cooling the liquid until it solidifies and esterifying the resulting solid with a higher fatty acid having from 12 to 18 carbon atoms in each molecule.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. A COMPOSITION OF MATTER COMPRISING A GLYCOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL AND DIETHYLENE GLYCOL AND A POLYPENTAERYTHRITOL CONTAINING 2 TO 5 PENTAERYTHRITOL UNITS TO THE MOLECULE, THE PROPORTION OF THE GLYCOL BEING 10 TO 30 PARTS FOR 70 TO 90 OF THE POLYPENTAERYTHRITOL AND THE COMPOSITION BEING A DRY SOLID THAT DOES NOT RELEASE GLYCOL AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. 